No excuses.

So, our lodge now has its own computer!! It's a little chunky, a little clunky, and the slowest at picture uploading around, but it's a BLESSING! [We call it the Dinosaur.]

Today: what a beautiful day; a good finish to a good weekend. It was clear and sunny, cooler than yesterday (which was 19 degrees!), but glorious for January 23rd, I'd say. Enjoyed a lot of outdoorsiness this afternoon... feeling refreshed.

Yesterday I dug into our "Creative Journal", and I am so proud of mine it's probably sinful :P Colouring, cutting and pasting, writing my thoughts and feelings... it really couldn't get much better, as far as I'm concerned. It took some hours, but I've successfully reflected on my first official week of DTS, complete with borders, backgrounds, colour-accents, and illustrations. So satisfying.

Today, we went to Neighborhood Church, which included some good worship (whatever that means, right?) and, instead of a sermon, sort of a family meeting about some switches in leadership and a new head pastor. Oops! Haha. Interesting introduction, but it was still a good morning. Post-service, we drove to In-n-Out (I stuck with my packed lunch, however) before coming back home.

Since we live in this great canyon surrounded by waterfalls and hiking trails, I figured it was time to actually get ONTO one of those trails and hike up to the three crosses on the mountain-hill behind our lodge. The other girls have been able to go because they work the dinner shift in the kitchen and have free time in the afternoons, which is my slot for work duties - and coincides with my would-be free daytime hours.

Weekend hikes it is, then! Paola and I went with our "brothers" Andrew, Brandon, and Tyler (sons of the couple in our DTS). It was fun trailblazing a new way up the uneven terrain, but on the way down, Paola slipped in the mud, then discovered that her camera had fallen out of her pocket! We scoured the ground and eventually hiked almost all the way back up, then slowly made our way down, eyes still peeled, but to no avail. We got within 100 feet of where we'd realized the camera was lost when Tyler found it, lying on dry ground (PTJ!) and only a little worse for wear. Ah, well - like I said, it was a beautiful day, and with food as good as we have around here, a bit of extra hiking is OK with me :)

Later on I brought the GUITAR Brian (on-staff) has so graciously lent to me down to the step behind the laundry room, where I usually retreat to play so that people at least don't hear me quite as clearly. Mmmm, that was a good time on the mossy concrete in the sun. I got tired of that after a while, grabbed my Bible, and headed for the stream. This place is BEAUTIFUL. (And I don't care how many times I say it!) I sat on the roots of this old, gnarly tree that were snaking into the river, right at this rocky little rapid, and wow - there is SOMETHING about rivers ("living water") that I just love.

After a pizza dinner, made by my DTS leader Jake from the week's leftovers (orange chicken and salad toppings), the five chicas watched "Furious Love" together, and now I'm listening to my Guatemalan hermanas chat en espanol while I finish typing this up. Man. "Furious Love": that's a movie. Really, it falls more under the documentary category, but - it just underscores over and over and over again that the heart of God and our call is LOVE. First, foremost, and final. As Jesus said, This sums up the law and the prophets. When He's right, He's right.

Thanks for reading :)